Snapped Guitar Strings
by Allanna Stone
Summary: After an entire summer of exchanging letters with a school assigned pen pal, Bonnie Evans, the girl who lived, finds herself with a kindred spirit- someone who doesn;t care much for being the center of attention, yet someone who lives for who he is and what he represents... Viktor Krum X OFC, FEM Harry Potter, companion piece to I See the Light...
1. Chapter 1

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

Bonnie sighed in frustration as she hunted for her missing shoe. Everything had been packed and ready to go, the other girl's stuff were already being loaded onto the train, but Bonnie, being Bonnie, wanted to make sure that she had everything and had discovered that she was missing a trainer.

"Dobby?" Bonnie called out, hating to bother him.

_**CRACK.**_

"How might Dobby help you?" squeaked the house elf, bowing to Bonnie.

"I'm sorry to bother you but do you know where this shoe's mate is?" Bonnie asked, glancing down at her watch, where she found that she had well over an hour left before she had to get onto the train for home.

Dobby's ears drooped in shame.

"Miss, the heel was worn out, so Dobby took the shoe with him to be fixed!" Dobby vanished for a moment, but soon reappeared with the missing shoe in hand. "Dobby is most apologetic at forgetting to return it…"

Bonnie sighed in relief as she laced the other shoe onto her feet, smiling kindly at the clearly distraught house elf.

"Thank you, Dobby," she told him. "I am truly graceful for having you to watch out for me this year."

"Dobby is forever in debt with you miss! For you helped set him free from his cruel masters!" Dobby squeaked happily. "Now miss must hurry if she wishes to get a god seat!"

"I'll see you soon, Dobby!" Bonnie bent and kissed the house elf on his bald head before turning and darting from the dorm.

"Aurora!" Bonnie shouted as she boarded the train, ignoring everyone's stares as she raced towards the compartment where she knew her friends would be sitting.

"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Bonnie? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work," Ron told her with excitement dancing in his eyes as Bonnie entered the compartment, finding all her friends packed inside,

Bookworm and teahcer's pet Hermione Granger.

Comic relief and loyal Ron Weasley.

Sarcastic and bold Aurora Malfoy.

Arrogant and protective Draco Malfoy.

"Really?" Bonnie asked. "Yes, tell your dad that I'd love to go, if it wont be too much trouble for him to get extra tickets!"

"Nah, he's been getting extra tickets for years. Has them all stored up for when the grandkids start popping out!" This comment made everyone in the compartment chuckle.

"But first I'd need to check with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia- I'm not certain what kind of punishment that they have dealt out for me after what I did to Aunt Marge," Bonnie continued on with a sad smile.

"Bonnie, is that Hedwig?" Draco suddenly asked, his eyebrows all but burnt off during the first game, which he had lost to his little sister.

Bonnie looked up and saw a white owl keeping up with the trail. She climbed over Draco and Aurora to open the window and allow her pet inside. Once Hedwig was inside, she started to hoot softly to Ron;s new pet, a tiny owl gifted to him from Sirius.

She accepted the letter from her beloved pet before coaxing the snow white owl into her cage, where the beauty continued to hoot at the much smaller owl fondly.

"Speaking of grandkids…" Bonnie teased, opening the letter with her fingernail.

**Evans-**

**I have brought you case to the attention of the headmaster and the Minister of Magic. As it so does turn out, there is one other student who wishes to remain anonymous. Professor Dumbledore has worked out arrangements with the headmaster of the school and spoken to Hedwig. She will know where to take your letter. The other student has been likewise debriefed and knows to only use your owl to return post. She will therefore have to stay on with your partner until a return letter is produced, but I trust you will bare this gracefully given the trouble that the headmaster has gone in order to grant your request.**

**Best of luck**

**Professor McGonagall**

"What is it?" Aurora asked excitedly, trying to read Bonnie's note from the headmistress.

"It's about that pen pal program that the ministry is in charge of," Bonnie stated, shaking her multi streaked curls from her eyes and sitting down in a corner and taking out her notebook.

_Dear stranger (believe it or not but this is the least awkward greeting I could come up with),_

_First off, I just want you to know how graceful I am that you also requested to remain anonymous. I won't pester you for your reasons, as my own are sound, so I'm assuming that the same goes to you. _

_And now, a little bit about myself is in order, don't you think?_

_I am fourteen years old and spend my summer in England with my mother's sister and her family. I am close to my cousin (he calls himself my "big" cousin just because he is two years older than I am). I love music- I play the violin, the piano and guitar and I also sing- I'm no Sarah Brightman, not by a long shot, but it's something that I love doing. My favorite room of the house (where I live with my family, mind you) is the kitchen- that is where one can usually find me, if I'm not in my bedroom in the attic. I write and compose my own songs as well and hope to one day release an album of original songs. I love flying- so far I have flown on a hippogriff, a phoenix and an enchanted Muggle car- but my passion will always be in Quidditch. I love all shades of blue. My favorite animal is a dolphin- I actually have a small tattoo of three of them on my left hip (It was done at a Muggle tattoo shop last year as a dare from one of my cousin's friends.) I also love reading- one of my close friends and I have a yearly contest to see who reads the most books. We always end up in a tie. My birthday is on Halloween. I love horseback riding, rock climbing and parkour._

_I have four close friends. One is a Muggle born (she's the one who I compete with for the most books read this year award). She is really smart and a bit bossy, but she's also the voice of reason amongst us all. Another comes from a larger Wizarding family (six brothers, one sister, to give you a rough idea). I'm also close friends with his two of his older brothers (twins), who are pranksters. I sometimes help them with pranks. The other two are brother and sister, separated by two years, we met in Diagon Alley. The sister and I hit it off almost instantly, but it took a bit of coaxing for the brother and I to even like each other. Looking back now, it's all very comical, the hatred between us- because we're in rival house. That is my two friends the bookworm and eight siblings are in one house while the brother and sister are in another house. The rivalry goes back a century, I believe, but I like to think of the lot of us being the ambassadors between the two houses._

_We're pulling into King's Station now (if you couldn't tell by my shaky handwriting I wrote this letter on the train). I'd guess I'd better wrap up this letter…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

Viktor Krum patted the stunning snowy white owl that had showed up at his family's castle, located in Belgium. He was home for two weeks before he would go off to train for the Quidditch World Cup with the Bulgarian team. He knew that those two weeks were a rare treat, so he was going to use the time for as much leisure as possible.

The owl had arrived a few days into the summer holidays, and along with her, a lovely letter from Viktor's mysterious correspondent. He had read the letter so often that the parchment was beginning to tear at the folds.

He honestly didn't know what to write as he sat at his desk with a clean sheet of parchment in front of him and a fresh quill in hand.

_ Dear friend, (this is just as awkward for me as it is for you, I'm sure),_

_ It is interesting- your letter brings, for the first time in years, my genuine need to respond. Other see an image of me, not me as who I am as a person, and at times it can be infuriating._

_ I am glad that we are corresponding via letters- my English is fine in writing, but speaking is dreadful- it comes with being multilingual, I'm afraid. Do you speak any other languages than English, out of curiosity?_

_ You say that you are fourteen? Then please forgive me for calling you my little friend, for I am seventeen, about to turn eighteen in August. There is a part of me that wishes I would have known your age, in going with this assignment. But now that I reread your first letter to me, I am uncovering a hidden wisdom in your carefully penned words, you write far beyond your years- if you speak like this in real life and not just on paper, then I imagine you having interesting conversations with people in general. And I must apologize if I sound like your cousin._

_ You are lucky to have such a diversity of friends. I myself only have my younger sister who I consider my only friend, and she is eight years old! Yes, I've never had an actual friend, someone to confine in and to tell my deepest secret to- I dare not do that with my sister, for she tells everything to our mother, even without meaning to. Don't get me wrong, I do love her dearly, but there is only so much an older brother can take. I can still remember one time when she was about two years old- I would have been ten- and she would invite me to have tea parties with her dolls and play dress up. I do believe that mother still has pictures somewhere- I'm thankful that she has seemed to have forgotten about them for now- if they were ever to resurface, I might die of shame and embarrassment. _

_ Am I not correct in assuming that your mother's sister's family are Muggles? If so, what are they like? I only ask because I myself come from a family of "pure blood", which is stupid, if you ask me. The labeling that is. It should not matter if one is of a wizarding family or is a Muggle born (much like your two friends)._

_ You say that you can sing? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that Sarah Brightman is a Muggle singer? Both my parents love music and I have never heard of her. What styles do you enjoy singing? And as for playing four different insterments, it must be very difficult for you to sort out which is which. You also compose? My father would love to listen to a few of your selections, if you don't mind me being so brass- he loves discovering new talent, whether old or new._

_ You have flown on a hippogriff? You are lucky- they are extremely rare and picky as to who can look at them. An enchanted Muggle car? You need to tell me the story behind that one, please- I am running out of bedtime stories for my little sister. Speaking of the subject, but what was your favorite bedtime story when you were younger?_

_ I'm running out of space and candle- I will be awaiting your letter._

_A friend_

_PS_

_And what is parkour?_

~xoXox~

Bonnie smirked as she pulled on the royal blue hooded tunic that her dear Aunt Petunia had made for filming parkour videos.

"Alright Dudley- everything in position?" she called out cheerfully, cracking her knuckles loudly.

Bonnie wore a short sleeved royal blue tunic with snowflakes embroidered on the hood and neck, a long sleeved teal blue shirt underneath that, a silver fabric belt with long tails, black stretch jeans, and well broken in black leather boots. Bonnie's long, usually unruly, colorfully streaked dark scarlet curls were tamed (for once) into a stylishly messy teased braid which trailed over one shoulder and ended at her hip.

"Yup, ready at your call!" the athletic sixteen year old boy called out cheerfully.

"You're the director!" bickered Bonnie with a huff.

"You know something, you're right!" Dudley told her before turning to face his friends. "Ready in three… two… one… _**ACTION!**_"

Once the helicopter cameras were activated, Bonnie flipped up the hood of her tunic before stepping towards the edge of the building. She braced herself as she fell over the edge, landing in a graceful roll, which helped to break the fall.

Bonnie then jumped onto the back of a bus, hitching a free ride for a couple of blocks before getting off near an abandoned construction site, where she scaled up a rain gutter, using just her arms and feet to hoist her tiny frame up onto the roof of the massive structure. Once she was on top of the housing multi-complex, she began to jump from rooftop to rooftop, using her many years of gymnastics to keep her balance and not fall and end up at a funeral as the main attraction.

Then, she reached a parking garage, where she jumped down the stairway, using the railing and platform between each levels to break up her falls. Once she reached the main level, she then bounded out towards the courtyard, leaping from one brick wall which lined the walkway to the other as though she was only playing skipping rope.

She then dropped down into the unfinished and unused sewer line, (which was empty) and ran about it for a few hundred yards before coming out again, this time near the sewage plant. Bonnie scaled the brick wall with ease, using her finger strength to hoist herself up and over the wall, where she was then found herself on a deserted street. Bonnie flipped herself over cars with much ease, and swung around streetlamps as though it were something that she did every day before coming to an alleyway. Once more, she climbed up, up, up, past the third floor, and onto the roof, where she paused at the edge, and closed her eyes as her face met that of the slowly setting sun. A sudden breeze began to blow and her hood came down, the hair combs which held it in place having snapped during Bonnie's sort filming of her abilities.

Bonnie stood there for a few minutes more, her chest not even heaving, despite the fact that she had just ran, jumped, climbed and dropped her way partway across London.

"That's a wrap!" huffed Dudley, having ran with her in order to control the helicopter cameras. His friends skidded to a halt besides him, all wheezing as they tried to prevent themselves from having asthma attacks and heart failure.

"I still can't thank everyone enough for doing this last minute film with me!" Bonnie gushed, beyond ecstatic once she saw the amazing footage on one of Dudley's friend's laptop. "Wow!"

"This is your best work yet!" Dudley crowed as they all began the short trek to Bonnie and Dudley's house, where dinner awaited them.

~xoXox~

_Dear friend,_

_I'm glad you found my letter interesting- while I was trying to write my four friends (who I mentioned in my first letter) were playing Exploding Snaps and making such a loud ruckus- I could barely hear my own thoughts as it was. Your summary of how people see you pretty much sums me up, as well._

_As to answer your questions about me playing so many different musical insterments, I imagine it being the same as speaking several different languages, in the way which one stores information, I believe. I would've never guessed that English isn't your first language- I do as a matter of fact speak another language, only it is a kind of forgotten language, in a matter of speaking. I still need to find someone to play around with it, to get used to speaking it and switching back and forth from English, as how it can be random at times._

_As for calling me little, it's fine, just as long as you don't call me "baby"- the last time my cousin did that, I gave him a black eye and a bloody nose. (I was six, by the way.) I enjoy playing around with words, which is why I love writing so much- it's like an escape for me, a place where I can run away to for hours at time, just to get away from the demands of life. You truly think I sound older? You are the first person to tell me that._

_And as for my friends, I did not choose them, fate dropped them into my life. I met my two friends (the Muggle born and the big family) on the train to Hogwarts. The siblings, as I might have mentioned in my first letter, I met in Diagon Alley while I was buying my school supplies for my first year. I had often wondered if my mother hadn't died, would I have a little brother or sister? You played dress up with your sister? Don't worry- I won't tell. It just means that you helped her enjoy her childhood. My aunt still has pictures of when I would play dress up with my cousin, and my uncle and a few of his co-workers and friends have been involved in a few tea parties as well. Don't be ashamed of those photos- be proud of them, dig them out and show them off to friends when they come over for a chuckle. I know I do that every now and then._

_Yes, my aunt, uncle and cousin are Muggles. My mother was Muggle born. I don't know anything about my father except that he is a wizard (I say 'is' because I do believe deep in my heart that he is still alive out there, somewhere.) Life with them is just like anyone else's, only without the magic. I do agree with you about the whole labeling thing- it is just a toll which people use to put others into their place._

_Yes, Sarah Brightman is a Muggle singer- she's been categorized as being a classical crossover- I've also included a two sided disc- one side of her, the other side of me. I think you'll know which one is me- I tend to sing more musical theatre and pop than classical and opera, although I do sing a few songs in those styles._

_The hippogriff was a part of Care of Magical Creatures class last year, but it ended in disaster when this one pureblood prat insulted the hippogriff and ended up in the hospital wings for a few hours. And as for the enchanted car, that is a story that I can tell you when it isn't late and past my bedtime (yes, even I have a bedtime, poor me)._

_PS_

_To answer your question about parkour, I've included a disk._

_Yes, I do all my own stunts._

_Yes it is dangerous._

_Yes I have broken bones._

_No I have not died._

Viktor frowned at the first disc, which had a street graffiti themed label on t and popped it into his disc player.

Barely even thirty seconds in, he had to pause the mini home movie. His eyes were wide and his heart was going faster than normal. He forced himself to calm down before continuing it.

"Viktor, are you alright? I heard a scream," his mother asked, poking her head into his room.

"Mother, come in," Viktor invited her. "And I yelped- I don't scream, that is for Ekatherina."

His mother chuckled as her son started up the disc once more. They both watched as grace and danger danced in perfect harmony before the clip ended with Viktor's mysterious pen pal gazing out at the setting sun as a light wind yanked her hood down. All that Viktor could see before the sweet violin music ended and the screen went black was that she had a long braid, where her curls fought to be released.


	3. Chapter 3

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

_Dear friend,_

_I watched your disc last night and almost died of heart failure. Does Hogwarts allow you to do this parkour around the school? I would imagine not, but if so, then I am interested in learning what the other students think of you. How long have you been doing this for? How long do you train every day? You mentioned that you have broken bones while doing parkour- which bones have you broken and how, if you don't mind me asking? Of course you haven't died- you did die, then you wouldn't be writing me now, would you?_

_I listened to your voice- you have an amazing talent. My father wanted to know who you were, but when I told him you were my pen pal for a school project, he wanted to know if I could ask you to send him a few more samples. (He works for a major wizarding record company.)_

_Exploding Snaps- that is something that is illegal at Durmstrang. It does sound like fun, except when your eyebrows catch on fire. Like my eyebrows just the way they are, thank you very much._

_Remind me not to get on your bad side ever- you gave your cousin a black eye and a bloody nose when you were six years old? That's impressive, but you'd better not try anything like that on me- I'd probably end up hurting you by accident. Would you mind terribly sending me a few works which you'd written? I would like to very much read your thoughts._

_And as for the photos- I am never digging them out and showing them to anyone. Not even you. I am sorry my little friend, but my dignity means too much to me to toss it all away for a good laugh. Do you really take out pictures of you and your cousin and show them off to people?_

_Wow, so you are a witch who lives with Muggles- that must be fun. Did you ever do accidental magic in your youth? I did- I once made a pudding that my mother made explode. And that was when I was nine years old._

_I am listening to your disc now- you truly do have a talent. You manage to capture every emotion that you're feeling in every word. I especially enjoy 'Defying Gravity', 'Let it Go' and 'The Phantom of the Opera'. You mentioned in comments section of the disc that you and the young man playing the phantom could not stand one another, but without knowing this, I am led to believe that you know and care for each other, judging by the way your voices meld together seamlessly._

_It's good that you have discipline in your life- bedtime is one of the few areas in which I find myself struggling. I'm often up late at night into the early hours of morning, hard at work._

_I am sorry for the loss of your mother- not to be rude, but how old were you? I'm sorry if I'm being rude- I'm just curious is all._

Viktor paused his writing, glancing up to see that the sun was rising. He groaned as he set the letter aside to finish later and began his morning workout of sit up, push-ups and crunches.

Halfway through his morning routine, his bedroom door creaked open and an eight year old girl bounced in, landing on his back as he was doing push-ups.

"Morning, Viktor!" greeted Ekatherina, Viktor's young sister, sitting on his with a wide grin on her face.

"Morning, Ekatherina," grunted Viktor, who kept doing push-ups with the added weights of his sister on his back.

The two siblings, separated by only ten years were silent for most of Viktor's morning work out, only talking when the young man needed him sister to do something specific.

~xoXox~

_Dear friend,_

_Apparently, my sarcasms doesn't translate over very well with quill and parchment._

_No, I hadn't tried parkour at Hogwarts, but it sure would be faster than climbing down all those flights of stairs! Endless possibilities… my friend's twin brothers will be so proud of you… I train, mostly though in the summer, I wake up early, at about six and stay out until about eight, when the street lamps come on, so about fourteen hours, maybe I'm guessing. And as for broken bones (which healed quickly due to the fact that I have some kind of healing spell on me), I've broken my right leg three times, my left leg once, my right wrist four time, my left wrist twice, several fingers (don't ask) and also had five or six concussions. All from bad landings- and those are just from parkour. I've been doing the sport for about five years- I started when I turned nine years old- I was inspired by Assassin's Creed (a Muggle video gaming series)._

_I've been singing all my life, but I started having formal training when I turned six years old. I took up piano and violin when I turned seven and the accordion and guitar followed shortly afterwards. I'm also including a demo reel (something Muggle producers use to decided on for who they want to cast in movies and theater shows- it one of my longer ones- fifteen songs, all which I hope your father enjoys.)_

_Noted about your eyebrows- never threaten to wax them if you annoy me. And as for hurting me, my cousin likes to say that I'm untouchable, due to all the pranks and stuff we pulled when we were both younger. He'd be the only one to get bruises and cuts from our fun while I'd walk away without so much as a scratch._

_And now, the magic car story, the summary of it all is that my second year at Hogwarts, one of my friends and I were sealed out of platform 9 ¾ (the train station where students leave for Hogwarts), so we got into the car and flew to Hogwarts. I nearly fell out and died, but my friend saved me from an untimely death. When we got to Hogwarts, we both got into so much trouble and we were certain that we'd be expelled, but were given firm warnings before being sent off to bed. My friend even got a Howler from his mum during breakfast the following day._

_I've also included a few short stories that I wrote when I was ten going on eleven- back when I didn't know I was a witch._

_Yes, I do take out the pictures that my aunt took of my cousin and I when we were younger and show them off to my cousin's friends. Every now and then, not every time. And I also don't do it when he brings over a girl he likes._

_Yes, I did do accidental magic, even to this very day- there was one time (back in Muggle elementary school) when I accidently turned my math teacher's toupee blue- it was a God awful toupee, too. Another time, I shrank my cousin's favorite jacket down to my size- he was really upset about that. And last year, I accidently made my uncle's sister (who to this very day I refuse to call aunt, due to her abusive and neglectful treatment of me) blow up like a balloon and float out of the house. But I didn't stick around for anything else, as how I ran away that night… another long story for me to tell you in my next letter, perhaps?_

_Yes, the boy (and I call him a boy because he acted like a child for the entire production) and I bickered over everything- from the way he sang 'Music of the Night' to the way I had my hair arranged- it was a downright nightmare._

_As for discipline, I went to a Catholic school with my cousin for the first six years of my schooling. Just about every class was taught by a nun- they were strict, but knew how to nurture us to become the best person we could possibly be._

_I had just turned a year old when my mother was murdered. I don't remember anything, which is probably for the best…_

Bonnie blinked away the tears which threatened to fall down her face before continuing on with the rest of her letter.

_I'm also including a book of Muggle faerie tales for your sister._

"Bonnie!"

The girl looked up and smiled at Dudley, who was wading in the lake near the Dursley's vacation home.

"I'm coming! Give me a moment to wrap up this letter!" Bonnie yelled, sealing the envelope and handing it to Hedwig, who rustled her feather before flying west, along with the little package that she had made up for her pen pal.

"Dudley!" she squealed when her cousin started to splash her, making her shriek loudly as she cannonballed into the lake, dousing her older cousin with water. Bonnie stayed at the bottom of the lake, just enjoying the calm before remerging for air. She flipped her sopping curls from her green eyes and smiled wickedly at her cousin.

"I personally find it hard to believe that your 'pen pal' and you had never met," said Dudley slyly before being ducked under the lake by Bonnie.

"I don't really like what you're implying, Big D," she sassed him once he had come back up, gasping and sputtering.

"Come on, you two! You've been outside all day! Bedtime and then in the morning we're off to home!" yelled Petunia from the vacation cottage.

"Coming!" they both shouted before clambering out. Dudley wore a blue rashgaurd and green swimming trunks. But Bonnie was more dressed for lounging next to the shore of the lake than swimming- she wore a black bikini which left plenty up to the imagination- in fact Dudley had to snarl and glare at guys who were staring at his cousin earlier.

"Goodness me, look at you both! You'll both have sunburns in the morning," clucked Petunia, sending them both off to shower and then bed.

"Oh, Bonnie, an owl is in your bedroom- I think it's from the Weasleys!" Petunia called as her niece raced upstairs, not a care in the worlds as little puddles of water formed where she stepped.

"Hello, Pig!" Bonnie greeted the tiny owl cheerfully, scratching his head as she took the letter from his beak and opened it:

**Bonnie-**

**Dad got us all tickets to the Quidditch World Cup- it'll be Bulgaria vs. Ireland, dad even got us passes to go out onto the field and talk to the players before the game! I'm so stoked- can't wait for you to come with! If you do come, bring your broom!**

Bonnie squealed loudly before charging back down the stairs with little Pig clamped onto her shoulder.

"Aunt Petunia! Uncle Vernon!" she yelled, barging down the stairs and skidding to a stop in the dining room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

_Dear friend,_

_ Guess what! I'm going to my first ever professional Quidditch game! I'm so excited, I can barely write! My friend from the big family (whose dad works at the Ministry of Magic) got us all tickets and that's not even the best part- he also got his hands on passes to go down to the field and talk to the players! I have to wonder if you'll be there? If so, then would it be alright with you if we arranged a meeting? You can say no- I won't be hurt (maybe just a tiny bit)._

_ If you do agree to meet (which I hope you do), don't be shocked at who I am- I'm still the same person who've been writing to for the past nine weeks- I'll just have a face and a name to me._

_ My friend (the one whose dad got us the tickets and passes) has been writing me almost nonstop about the background of each player- he's a big Quidditch fan, even bigger than I am, and I'm the seeker for my house team._

_ Do you play Quidditch? If so…_

There was more, only Viktor was more focused on this paragraph. He felt a chill running through his blood as he reread his mysterious pen pal's latest letter for the dozenth time in an hour. While the idea of meeting his mysterious friend was appealing, he worried about what she- or even he, would say upon meeting.

He would be meeting his pen pal next week.


	5. Chapter 5

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

Bonnie and Dudley both entered number four Private Drive chattering and laughing about the last run of parkour videos that they shot before she would go off with the Weasleys.

The very moment that they stepped into the house, the fireplace began to spit out green flames, making Vernon yelp and dump his tea onto himself.

"Hi, Bonnie!" called out Mr. Weasley in a chipper manner.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley!" answered Bonnie, beginning to dart into the kitchen to grab some towels for her uncle.

"No need, no need," he chuckled before waving his wand and the spilled tea vanished. "I do apologize if I startled anyone."

"No need to apologize- I just thought that our fireplace wasn't attached to the Floo network," answered Petunia in a cheerful voice, coming back in with a towel, which she spread in front of the fireplace so that other wouldn't track soot onto her nice clean carpet.

Sure enough, the twins and Ron had also entered the living room, looking a bit out of place in their hand me downs.

"Fred, George, Ron, would you three mind helping me grab my truck? It's upstairs- why I didn't think of filling the darn thing downstairs is above me," Bonnie told them cheerfully, leading the way up into her attic bedroom and leaving the adults to talk amongst themselves.

"No problem, Bonnie- after all, we gotta work for what we want!" teased Fred, entering Bonnie's room first and his jaw hit the floor, as did his other two brothers.

Bonnie's room took up the entire attic, nestled beneath peaked beams and with a giant skylight so that she could climb up onto the roof, stargaze and get in plenty of sunlight made the room seem cozy. Her bed was off in one corner, a simple black iron day bed, with a ruffled comforter in different shades of blue, mitch matched pillows and stuffed animals decorating it. One wall was filled with a bookshelf, the kind with a ladder with rolled from one side of the room to the other, and packed with books. What little wall space she had was filled with signed posters, all from different live theater shows she'd gone and seen over the years. Instead of a huge walk in closet, she had a Victorian era amour and a chest of drawers, both painted an eye catching red. In the opposite corner was a barrè with mirrors lining the wall, a keyboard and amplifier, and a small cupboard, which Bonnie headed for. She opened the cupboard and took out her guitar case and violin case, also grabbing her accordion while she was at it.

"Ron, grab Hedwig's cage, won't you?" she called out, pointing the twins towards her trunk at the end of her bed.

"Sure thing, Bonnie!" the younger redhead said, taking the owl's cage and letting her out and setting her free to fly to the Burrow.

A few minutes later, when all four had thundered back down the stairs, Bonnie was quivering again. She clutched the latest letter from her pen pal in her hands as she hugged her family good bye.

_Dear friend,_

_I would like to meet you. I also have a pass to meet the players before the game- why don't we meet there? Or I could meet you somewhere private beforehand, if you would like._

_I do truly relish the idea of meeting you face and getting to know you that way. I don't know why, but writing letters with you has been very one dimensional to me- I need to see and hear something before I understand fully._

~xoXox~

_Dear friend,_

_Can we meet after? I'd like for us to meet in private before anything else, if you don't mind. Although, I can't imagine having any privacy right now in my life. It seems as though wherever I go (in the wizarding world, of course) people point and stare at me as though I'm some kind of saint- which I'm not. I mean, I'm not a bad person, but trouble does tend to find me easily._

_Does your sister like the book I sent her? I was certain to make sure that it included all my favorites from when I was young. I can still remember one night when it was storming pretty badly outside. I was four at the time and I crawled into my cousin's bed for comfort. He had told me so many wonderful stories that when I woke up the next morning, I had my aunt write them all down for me to look back onto later._

_Tell you what- when I get to the campground I'll send Hedwig out to find you and she'll bring you to me- she's really smart like that…_

Viktor smiled at the rambling letter, which had gotten to him two days ahead of when he would normally get letters. He guessed that she was either at the campground or was staying over at a friend's house in anticipation of the Quidditch World Cup.

He couldn't stop the grin which made its way onto his face and he fell onto his bunk to reread the letter.

~xoXox~

Bonnie couldn't help the giant smile that came onto her face when the Weasleys, Hermione, Draco, Aurora, and herself stepped onto the campground. She saw many a tents going up via magic and there were children racing each other on toy broomsticks.

"Here's our tents!" called out Mr. Weasley cheerfully, stopping front of a pair of tents that seems too small to fit four girls and eight men. "Oh, do go on then!"

Bonnie was last to step into the men's tents and felt her jaw dropped at the size of the inside- it had been magicked to allow a kitchen, living room, bunk beds and even a small washroom.

The girl's tent was the same, only Mr. Weasley had put several strong protection charms on it so that if a man other than himself or the others entered, a loud wailing siren would sound.

"This is amazing!" beamed Bonnie before setting Hedwig to go spread her wings some. She went outside and scaled a tree before settling herself down with her notebook and pen and beginning to write, switching her brain off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

It was after the game when Bonnie was on her way to tell Hedwig to go find her mysterious pen pal when all hell broke loose. She spied several men in skeleton masks marching about the campground, wrecking hell and she suddenly knew what was happening.

She whipped out her wand and started shouting hexes at Death Eaters who dared to glance her way.

Just then, someone on a broom stopped in front on her.

"Get on!" ordered a rough, heavily accented voice.

Bonnie wasted no time. Once she was holding on tightly to whoever he was, she grapsed her wand in her right hand.

"Expelliarmus!" she bellowed, pointing her wand at a Death Eater. His wand flew out of his hand and he was tackled by members of the Ministry of Magic. Bonnie continued to shout out the disarming spell as she and her mysterious savior flew over the trees, towards where a giant pirate ship was parked in a lake.

"Get inside!" he roughly told her, flinging himself off the broom and shooting spells at Death Eaters who had ventured out this far into the wilderness. Bonnie ignored his cry and instead focused all her energy into disarming Death Eaters. Her wild red curls had long since escaped its neat braid and now she slightly resembled a madwoman as she hit Death Eater after Death Eater.

Then, she saw them.

The group of Death Eaters who had the Muggle family up in the air.

Bonnie felt her blood flash and before her savior could say anything, she vaulted herself over the edge of the ship, landing in ankle deep water and bellowed, "EXPELLIARMUS!"

The blast which was produced was so strong that all the Death eaters were thrown off their feet, leaving Bonnie free to run over and check up on the Muggles.

"It's alright dear," she murmured softly to the little two year olf girl, who was bawling her eyes out. Bonnie picked up the young child before sensing something behind her. She spun around to see a Death Eater, who hadn't been knocked out by her powerful disarming spell, raising his wand to her. Bonnie raised her wand as well, only to hear a loud _**BANG**_ and he was knocked out.

"Are you alright?" she kindly asked the woman, who was trembling as she stood up.

"What are you?" she asked in terror as she snatched her child back.

"It's not my place to say," Bonnie answered truthfully, flicking a rainbow hued curls from her eyes.

Suddenly a great flash of green lit the sky and a giant green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth appeared.

"Well crap," she muttered before all hell broke loose.

Several wizards appeared out of nowhere and shouted "_**STUPEFY!**_" bonnie knocked the Muggles down and flattened herself over the younger two children, murmuring reassuring words to them.

"Stop! Stop, that's Bonnie Evans! Stop, you idiots!" screamed a voice all to familiar to Bonnie as she held her place, not even daring to breathe too loud. "Bonnie, dear child, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Fudge," she gasped, sitting back up and allowing the two children to race over to there parents. She was dimly aware of a cut over one eyebrow that was leaking blood- she was certain that it would need stitches- and there were several bruise forming over her body from the jump she took from the ship into the water to defend the Muggle family.

She glanced up and caught the eye of her savior. Her breath escaped her lungs as he stared her in the eye. Bonnie couldn't help but notice how handsome he was- he was built with muscles, and his face was chiseled, with a sloping forehead, a strong nose and dark eyes.

She broke away first, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

"Bonnie, are you alright?" Mr. Weasley was asking her with a terrified expression on his face.

"I'm fine, Mr. Weasley- I'm just now beginning to feel the adrenalin rush calming down some!" she teased weakly before she started seeing double. "Well double crap again."

_Dear friend,_

_I'm terribly sorry that we weren't able to meet up after the world cup, like we'd originally planned- things were nuts after the Death Eater's attack and I can't help but feel sorry for those poor Muggles! From what I understand they had to have their memories wiped and everything- the ministry has been all up in a tizzy over it, from what my friend's dad says (the one who works at the Ministry of Magic)…_

Viktor sucked in a breath as he read his pen pal's latest letter, which came to him two days after the embarrassing loss at the world cup. He was more concerned about his mysterious friend's part in the battle, which when he read through the letter and found nothing, was relieved. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to his pen pal.

He sighed heavily before carefully penning a response back. He needed to tell her that they could meet again…

_Dear friend,_

_Can you keep a secret? This year, Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri Wizard's Tournament and Durmstrang has been invited to participate. If I'm not mistaken, there is to be a masked ball on the 31__st__ of October, which is when we Durmstrang students shall arrive. If it should please you, I would like to meet under disguise before revealing who we really are._

_I shall be wearing the Drumstrange uniform (red robes and fur cape) as well as the uniform gold mask that we students are required to wear to masked events such as this one. To make it easier for you to spot me, I shall also have a blue feather on my fighting staff. (Only martial arts students are permitted to carry a staff.) _

_You can tell your friends if you would like- just as long as they swear not to tell anyone- Professor Karkaroff has made it clear that we are to be kept silent about the whole affair, which is ridicules as how we are an all male school- how are we to find dates?_

_Do tell me if there is anything disguisable about you? Something that will help me know who you are in a crowd of students?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

_Dear friend,_

_Thank you for letting me know about the Tri Wizard's Tournament beforehand- one of the girls in my year (we're not friends, by the way) has been hinting away at something big happening this year at Hogwarts. My friends are also grateful for your tip off- my two friends (the girls) are now fussing and fawning over dress robes. My male friends are wondering who they'll ask (I made it quite clear that if either of them asked me, I'll hex them so badly that they won't be able to tell yesterday from tomorrow)._

_And as for what I look like? I look like I'm a first year or a second year (due to my tiny bone structure), even though I'll be a fourth year this year. I'm also told that I have my mother's eyes. My aunt has a lot of photographs of mummy laying around the house, so I know that I look just like her- except for the dimples- my aunt tells me I must've gotten them from my father's side, as how my mother's side has no dimples at all._

Viktor saw a tear on the parchment and couldn't help but scowl. He didn't mean to make his pen pal cry.

_I am told often times that I'm cute, but I don't think so. I'm just a thirteen year old girl (whose fourteenth birthday is on the eve of the masked ball.)_

Aha, so it is a girl, he thought to himself as he continued reading, searching for an idea as to what to get her for her fourteenth birthday.

_Knowing my aunt, uncle and cousin, I'll probably get so many presents that I won't have any room in my trunk to bring them back home for the summer. That's what happened my first year at Hogwarts- oh, you just should have seen the looks on everyone's faces when the mail came in during breakfast! It was priceless. And also my friends gift me as well. My bookworm friend always gets me a book, my friend from the big family gets me candy and sweets and my other two friends who are siblings get me gear and whatnot for Quidditch._

_Speaking of Quidditch, but I'll probably stage a game of Quidditch between the Hogwarts student s and Durmstrang students, if you don't mind me doing so- I am curious as to which school has the better team. (I think Hogwarts will flatten your school any day, but that's just me talking)._

Viktor grinned as he read the reply. He felt slightly wounded that his pen pal didn't think to highly of his Quidditch skills, but that was before he remembered that she didn't know who he was.

_You think you can flatten Durmstrang? _Viktor thought with wild amusement_. Prepare to be proven wrong, my little friend._

He stood up and began to walk back to his room, whistling a merry tune as he went.

_Today is the first of September, which means back to Hogwarts with me! (I'm writing this while in the car to King's Cross. My cousin keeps trying to see what I'm penning you, but my aunt is very cross today for some reason or other and keeps smacking him upside the head.)_

_We're here- I'll continue writing once I'm on the train._

Viktor chuckled again before continuing reading.

_Good Lord, I never thought my aunt would let go of me. She was blubbering so hard that my uncle had to make her let go of me so that I could get onto Platform 9 ¾, which I am truly grateful for- I would hate to explain why my aunt came along with me to Hogwarts._

_Anyways, my friends and I are all stuffed into one compartment, with room to spare. Both boys (not quite men yet, they still have quite a ways to go before I start addressing them as such) have gone through massive growth spurts over the summer- it's as though they've both had stretching jinxes casted upon them! My friend the bookworm did something to her hair- now it isn't quite as bushy and frizzy, but is more smooth and tangle free. My other friend is pretty much the same, except for the fact that she looks more like a woman then a girl…_

_Anyhow, I'm sending you a disc of some of my latest compositions (I play all musical interments, by the way) and I really love Master of Tides (track #1)- it's my favorite piece so far, next to Roundtable Rival (track #8) and Shatter Me (track #15)._

Viktor quickly slipped the disc into his player and his jaws fell open at the haunting melody which flowed effortlessly from the speakers. He flipped the piece of parchment over to see that the backside had a giant ink blotch on the parchment, along with the explanation, _My friend's owl knocked the ink bottle over and ruined what all I was going to say next. I'll save that for the next letter._

~xoXox~

Bonnie giggled as she waited for Professor Dumbledore to make his announcements to the rest of the school. She was practically squirming in her seat as she waited for the headmaster to spill about the Tri Wizards Tournament.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it. The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Bonnie gasped. She looked around at Fred and George, her fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy- but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered. "What happened to his face?"

"Dunno," Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.

Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Julia saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.

The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar-"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er - but maybe this is not the time.. . no. . ." said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament. . . well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities -until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death toll?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders on October 30th, and the on Halloween night, there will be a masked ball, and the selection of the three champions will take place later on that very evening. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Julia could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This"- Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious- "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop-chop!"

Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.

"They can't do that!" said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"

_ Dear friend,_

_ Good news- Professor Dumbledore broke the news tonight. My friend's twin brothers (the pranksters I told you about) are really mad about the age restriction- but I reckon that they'll find some way around it- if not, who knows what kind of trouble they got up their sleeves? I'll bet my money that they'll find some way to cause mischief, you can count on it._

_ Speaking of which, but surely you won't enter? I mean, I know it's your choice, but the death toll is alarming (my friend the bookworm has already done her research on the Tri Wizard Tournament…) If you are planning on entering, then know that I will root for you, despite being from another school._

_And also, there won't be any Quidditch this year, to most of the school's disappointment, so I guess maybe we'll have to arrange an illegal match or something?_

Viktor chuckled at the letter, which he guessed had been penned in a rush because it had spelling errors and smudges of ink here and there. He set the letter into his ever growing pile of notes from her and began his own reply.

_Dear friend,_

_Yes, I'll enter the Tri Wizard Tournament- do not worry for me, for I am quite capable of taking care of myself. It is a requirement for all Drumstrange students who want to go to Hogwarts. Karkaroff is pushing for me to attend, for what reason, I may never know._

_I have been trying to imagine what you look like, only due to your vague descriptions of yourself, I've had no luck so far in creating a complete profile. I do suppose that you've been doing the same for me?_

_Very well then- I am tall with fair skin and dark brown eyes. I wear my hair cropped short, as is the Drumstrange dress code, but my hair is black. I am rather bulky in build, for years of playing Quidditch, as well. I do hope that can satisfy you until we meet._

_I still plan on carrying the blue feather on my staff so that you will be able to pick me out- you still haven't told me how I'll be able to pick you out in a crowd of uniforms. No matter, I do suppose that I'll have to guess at who you are, my mysterious little friend…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

Bonnie stood up straight as she entered Dumbledore's office. It wasn't even breakfast and she had already been surrounded to speak with him- she couldn't help but wonder what happened and how she could worm her way out of whatever mess she had landed in.

She smiled at the headmaster before sitting down.

"Bonnie, dear, I have an interesting proposition for you," smiled Dumbledore, offering her a little dish of lemon drops, which she turned down. "As you may know, the 30th of October will be a very busy and exciting day, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind performing on behalf of Hogwarts?"

Bonnie stared at him with wide eyes.

"Perform?" she squeaked.

"Yes, I do hear that you are an excellent violinist…" he hinted before she understood what he was saying. "You and any friends who you wish to have participate will have full dismissals from classes until the 1st of November, which will be a Monday."

Already, Bonnie's mind was spinning with all who she was going to have help her out.

_Ron, Draco and the twins, yes… Aurora, Ginny and Hermione yes, but I'll need one more male, I think… I know! Josh! He'll be perfect!_

Bonnie was bought out of her thoughts by Dumbledore saying, "… and the Great Hall will be yours to practice in. and any special effects you may need will be provided by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape."

She almost groaned at her dreaded teacher's name, but she held it in before the headmaster asked her for the names of students who she was going to have help her.

~xoXox~

"No, absolutely not," said Hermione after Bonnie made the announcement to all her friends. She had Ron pull Joshua Waller, a fifth year Gryffindor boy with hair that changed color according to what he felt like.

"Come on, Hermione- I already told Dumbledore that you'd do it!" Bonnie tried to reason with her. "Besides, he said extra credit for us in Potions?"

Ron snorted. "Since when did Snape ever agree to giving out extra credit?"

Bonnie glanced over at him. "Since he agreed to help with the special effects."

After cajoling with Hermione for another half an hour, she finally gave in with a huff.

"Okay, so first thing first- we need to get the dance chorography down! We only have seven weeks, so we need to step it up people! Hermione, do you know if there are any spells out there to make someone into a better dancer?"

~xoXox~

_Dear friend,_

_ Yes, you'll have to guess at who I am, sorry to break it to you. I hate playing waiting games, but trust me, this will be well worth your while when we finally meet. I don't believe that you will become star struck upon finding out who I really am, but it's better safe than sorry, as my uncle would say. I feel as though I have known you my entire life, and that you've known me your entire life as well. I suppose people would call us kindred spirits, as how we both share many things in common…_

Viktor's heart leapt once more as he reread the last sentence to himself over and over again. He was overjoyed that his mysterious pen pal felt connected to him, as he did to her. He was in his dorm, getting packed for Hogwarts, which was only a month away. His other roommates would tease him about his "mystery girl", who Viktor knew by handwriting. Every time Hedwig would sail through the window of his dorm, he would drop whatever he was doing and read the letter that she would bring with her. After resting for a few days, she would return to her owner, also bearing a letter to present to the girl who had stolen his heart.

_Dear friend,_

_ Words cannot describe how anxious I am to meet you. I cannot wait patiently while you sit at Hogwarts, twiddling your thumbs as you wait for the 30__th__. My friends have all noticed how antsy I am and they often tease me for it. I pay them no mind, of course, but I'm still trying my best not to snap._

_Can I tell you something that may frighten you? I think I'm falling in love with you, my mysterious friend. I'm in love with your mysterious way of skitting around important subjects, the way you describe everyday things and make them sound exciting, the way you choose your words…_

_ I do not blame you if you find me too forwards, for it is a fault of mine to bear forever._

Bonnie stared at the paragraph, trying to find words to write back to her pen pal, only nothing was coming to her mind at the time being. She instead turned her attention back to the costume that she was making for when she would perform in front of all three schools. She already had designed and created everyone else's costumes, which left only hers to do. And with the 30th of October only five weeks away, she still had a lot to do, not only sewing wise, but also directing wise in helping Professors McGonagall and Snape with bringing what she's envisioned to life.

_Dear friend,_

_ I apologize for not writing you sooner- but things have been really chaotic as of lately- first years running around getting underfoot, it's maddening, it is._

_ As for that Quidditch match- I asked Professor Dumbledore and he told me that it was fine with him as long as Madame Hooch (the flying instructor) didn't have a problem with it. Which she doesn't, in fact, she seemed to be quite overjoyed at the idea of having rival schools compete in a game of Quidditch. Words are already bussing around about it- everyone is really looking forward to it._

_ On another note, the weather's been really quite nice- I don't except for you to really notice much of a climate change, but in October it starts getting dreadfully cold at night and into the mornings. Do I sound like a mother when I tell you to pack warm clothes? The last thing I want for you to do is catch a head cold! That isn't a picnic, not with the cold medication that Madame Propfry (the nurse) has- I took it once and was miserable, despite the fact that the cold cleared up in six hours._

_ How is your sister, by the way? You claim to be quite close with her, yet you don't really tell me much about her. I'll start with my cousin. He's a Muggle, enjoys sports and junk food, and also wants to become a movie director. He practices by making home movies with me; random stuff mostly, like of us pulling pranks, parkour stuff, downtime in the kitchen, and of course, holiday events- I still have one recording of when we were younger (I was five and he was seven), Christmas morning. We both woke up my aunt and uncle at four AM just to see what Father Christmas left for us! Of course, we had to wake them up by (attempting) to make breakfast. The meal of our choice? Pancakes, bacon and sausage links. Oh man, did that plan end up in flames- the fire department came and everything- we even ended up on the Muggle news that morning. To this very day, I torment my cousin about it…_

Viktor bit his lip as he read the newest letter from his mysterious girl. Perhaps he had been too swift in declaring his feelings for her.

He groaned as he tossed the letter aside and collapsed onto his bed. There were only two weeks left until Drumstrange was to leave for Hogwarts. He was more of a ball of nervous jelly then a fearless seeker.

What if she scorned him because he was famous?

What if she already had someone in her life?

What if she had been lying for the entire sixteen weeks that they've been writing each other?

What if…

_Stop it_! Viktor scolded himself, not in the least bit bemused by where his train of thoughts were taking him. Still, he forced himself to pick up the letter and continue reading.

… _hope things are well on your end._

Viktor frowned as he turned the letter back over. He could've sworn that there was more to the letter…

Shrugging it off as lack of sleep, he tucked the letter into a box which he had devoted to storing all her letters, he climbed into bed and was out before his head even hit the pillow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

"Today's the day," whispered Bonnie as she ran through a few last minutes things with her friends. "Ron, stop fidgeting in that hat- if it falls apart again, I will be very unhappy. Draco, Aurora, for the love of all things holy, you are just dancing, not kissing! Man up and act your ages, not your shoe sizes! Fred, George, stop goofing off! If one thing so much as goes wrong, I'll tell your mother that you went and sent a Hogwarts toilet seat to Karkaroff!" snapped Bonnie, feeling a major headache coming onto her.

Everyone tolerated Bonnie and her foul temper as they ran through what they were going to do at least a hundred times before Bonnie called for a break.

"Bonnie?"

The redhead turned and smiled tiredly at Aurora, who had pulled on her Hogwarts robes for extra warmth in the rather drafty great hall.

"Are you nervous?" she asked gently as their fearless leader sat down heavily onto the floor, holding her head with her hands.

"No," she answered before sighing. "I am downright terrified. Aurora, what if he's different from what he's written me about?"

"Then you stand up and shame him in front of everyone," answered the blonde Slytherin with a calming smile.

Bonnie let out a chuckle as she held open her arms for a hug from her friend.

"Somehow I'm getting the idea that won't be easy," she told Aurora in a soft voice.

_Dear friend,_

_Nervous doesn't even begin to describe the emotions churning through my blood as I nervously await your arrival at Hogwarts. I know that by the time you get this letter, you will already be at Hogwarts, perhaps sitting in the great hall eating dinner and keeping a lookout for me, as I will do for you._

_As for finding me, why don't we make a game out of it? I too, shall wear a feather- a peacock one, in my hair. Best of luck with trying to find me!_

Viktor groaned as he read the letter. Perhaps every girl at Hogwarts would have their hair done nicely as to impress the two schools which were coming to stay for most of the school year.

_Anyways, all you need to do in order to find me is follow the music that the violin plays. Hope that I didn't give too much away there._

Viktor chuckled as he hastily penned a replay for Hedwig to give back to her mysterious owner.

_Dear friend,_

_We are leaving within the hour. We will be at Hogwarts at six thirty in the evening._

_Best of luck with your little game._

He smiled as he handed the letter over to Hedwig, who flapped out the window and vanished to the northwest skies, which were rosy with the sunrise.

~xoXox~

Bonnie gnawed at her lower lip in nervousness as she reread the masculine handwriting, which was clearly in a rush when the letter was being written. She tossed on her school robes over her costume, tucking her hat into the waistband of her skirt as she wandered out into the common room, where she found Fred and George, looking like they were hard at work with something which included fireworks and confetti.

"Nice job, you two," she beamed at them. "We'll set them off near the end, when the kraken starts to go down, alright? After the lift off, of course!"

She said all this in an undertone as how there were still a few first years waiting inside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two schools by the giant window.

"Where are the others?" she asked as well.

"I think they're down at Hagrid's," answered Fred with a little chuckle as he examined his bare toes.

"They'd better not get Fang drool on them," she scowled just as the fat lady's painting opened up to show the others, who were shivering despite the warm fire.

"We went out to go see Hagrid," chattered Ginny, plopping herself down in front of the fire to bring some color back into her body.

"Yeah, that's what Fred here said," commented Bonnie dryly. "How are things over there with him?"

~xoXox~

Viktor fidgeted as Karkaroff barked instructions to the men who were powering the ship.

"I still don't see why I must enter with you," he grumbled, shifting underneath his heavy furs.

Karkaroff sent him a look, which made him settle down a bit, but after a while, he resumed his restless pacing. This has been occurring over the past four hours. If anything, Viktor was now terrified to meet his mysterious girl. He had never known this kind of terror ever before, but he was certain that he wanted it done with. He enjoyed thrills, adventures and risks, but this was a totally new terrain for him. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he messed up their first meeting. She'd probably scoff in his face and skip off to be surrounded by her friends, he couldn't help but imagine, this enchanting girl who he couldn't envision.

It seemed as though all of Drumstrange knew of his enchanting mystery. He couldn't pass by anyone without getting a slap on the back and a cheeky grin.

To pass the hours until they reached Hogwarts, he found himself imagining how'd they meet, what they'd say, how'd she react. It amused him until finally the lookout bellowed that they've reached their destination.

Viktor stood next to Karkaroff with an emotionless mask on his face as he felt the ship going up to the surface of the Great Lake. He peeked out one of the portholes and saw that there were a few thousand students ogling at the ship and he had to bite back a grin as they were all shepherded into the Great Hall, perhaps to receive the ladies from Beauxbatons, who were to go in first- after all, ladies first.


	10. Chapter 10

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**TWO NOTES FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

**YouTube Lindsey Sterling's Master of Tides.**

Bonnie sighed nervously as she waited in the secret passage which led to the doors of the Great Hall. She tired her best to ignore the two schools who were flittering and chatting it up with one another.

_Cool it down girl, you can do this_, she told herself, forcing herself not to search for her pen pal.

Then, she heard Dumbledore's voice, asking for a welcome for the ladies of Beauxbatons. And in went the over pampered brats of Beauxbatons went running into the Great Hall, leaving her with the Drumstrange lads.

Once the students had settled down, she heard the headmaster introduce the Drumstrange lads and in they went, with the headmaster and a surly faced young man trailing right next to him.

Bonnie forced herself not to hyperventilate as she heard the cheers and claps for the Drumstrange students.

And then, it was her turn,

She placed her violin up to her chin and emerged from her hiding spot, nodding to the gargoyles who guarded the door to the Great Hall. She heard the music starting up and forced herself to enter what she called "her zone" before the doors opened for her to enter.

She danced her way down the aisleway between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table before ending up on the raised platform where the teachers normally sat, only tonight, they were sitting up in one of the balconies so that her friends and she could work their magic for everyone to witness.

She jumped to one side, along with her went a blast of water from the water fountain that she had Professor McGonagall whip up with the help of Professor Flitwick. She jumped to the other side, taking along with her yet another blast of water. She spied Fred and George, standing up and tossing off their robes as they hurried to join her in the dance of water. Ron and Draco followed shortly afterwards, each bending down to grab a rail which went up to give off the feeling of a ship before joining in the dance as well.

Never did Bonnie feel anymore prouder then when Hermione, Ginny and Aurora dropped their robes and joined in, luring the boys in with their enchanting, yet deadly "siren" beauty. Bonnie played her song as she danced around the stage, "fighting" off the sirens with her magical violin, defending her crew from Davy Jones' locker.

And that's was when Josh Waller entered. He had gone through a drastic transformation, due of Hermione (who was good with magic) and Aurora (who could work miracles with makeup). Josh looked strongly like King Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, as he danced with a trident before swinging it up into the air, for which the music paused for a few moments.

The audience was lured into a false sense of security and began to applause loudly before the music started up once more, this time, completed with a giant kraken, which appeared in the water show behind them via projection and magic.

Bonnie then defeated Poseidon before killing the Kraken with her magic violin before ending up in a pose with everyone surrounding her.

The noise was deafening.

Bonnie grinned at the twins, who had set off the cannons at the right time, and now the Great Hall was covered in streamers and confetti and had fireworks going off every so now and then. She bowed first before motioning to the others, who all took their own bows before joining together for one giant bow. They all then motioned to Professors McGonagall and Snape, who were off to the sides to help control the special effects. She let out a sound in between a titter and a giggle while he just stood there and scowled.

Bonnie grinned as she placed her violin back under her chin and played the same melody as she led the way from the stage out the doors of the Great Hall.

Once the doors had shut, Bonnie and Ginny both let out identical squeals and hugged each other.

"Oh my God, that was amazing!" yelled Ginny, roping in the twins for a hug.

"Group hug!" Bonnie screamed and everyone gathered in for a giant hug. She let out a little shriek as Draco picked her up and spun her around a few times. She laughed loudly as she flipped from his grasp, ending back up on her feet.

"By the way, did anyone spy my mystery feather?" she asked in a chipper voice before they all reentered the Great Hall for dinner. They were all instantly swarmed by students, all wanting to know answers to many questions.

At long last, the friends sat down at the Gryffindor table (which welcomed the two Slytherin siblings as though they themselves were Gryffindor), and they all began to tuck into their meal.

Bonnie had just placed a grilled cheese sandwich on her plate when she got the eerie feeling that someone was staring at her. She subtly glanced around, but spotted no one.

"Oh sweet Merlin…" breathed Aurora, who was sitting across from Bonnie.

"What?" the redhead asked, taking a bite of mac and cheese.

"I think I see your mystery feather…" whispered the pale girl, looking like she would faint.

"Where?" asked Bonnie with growing excitement in the pit of her stomach.

"At six o'clock, slightly to your right, sitting next to the dark skinned girl at the Slytherin table," she responded in a soft voice. Bonnie turned to stretch her sides and caught sight of her feather.

"Who is he?" she wondered softly before Aurora caught her attention again.

"He's Viktor Krum," she mouthed, trembling with excitement.

"Seriously?" she hissed, turning once again to check him out. Sure enough, it was the handsome Bulgarian from the Quidditch World Cup. He was scowling as he ate, not really paying any attention to what he was eating. A few students approached him and he just ignored most of them. A few timid first years dared to talk to him, and he switched his attitude around, smiling kindly at them. "Oh my God… my pen pal is Viktor Krum!" whispered Bonnie in shock before bowing her head with embarrassment. "I wrote him some pretty stupid things… oh God, he must think that I'm a nut job!"

Ginny heard this and her eyes widened as she listened to Bonnie. Then with a loud squeak, she tumbled out of her seat and landed on the floor with a loud grunt.

"Ginny!" Fred bellowed as he and George both jumped up tp check up on their baby sister. Ron was too busy wolfing down a lamb chop to pay any attention to what was going on around him. "Are you okay?"

"I see Bonnie's feather," she answered in a faint voice as the twins helped her up.

The twins both turned their heads and stared at Viktor before turning on Bonnie.

"Do you know who he is?" they both whispered- yelled.

"Save the lecture for later, won't you?" she growled, playing with the peacock feather which bobbed on her tricorn hat. "I'm so nervous…"

"Bonnie, if he breaks your heart, then we will rip him limb from limb!" declared Draco in a fierce voice. Hermione was ignoring everything as she sipped her pumpkin juice.

Half an hour later, the Drumstrange students got up. As though communicating by thoughts, the group of six friends (Josh had wandered off to sit with his own friends) all stood and followed the Northern students out of the hall as well, Bonnie with her violin and bow at the ready.

"Ready?" Bonnie muttered before beginning to play her violin once more. The Drumstrange students all turned as she twirled her way over to them her tricorn hat perched atop her head. She then performed several little jumps before ending the song in front of Viktor Krum. "I offer you, the feather of friendship."

And with that, she plucked the giant plumage from her hat and held it out to him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**TWO NOTES FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

_That pomperous asshole!_ Bonnie shouted in her mind as she raced through the corridors of Hogwarts with tears running down her face. She paused for only a moment to get her bearings before taking off once more, heading straight for the secret room where dance practices were held in secret.

~xoXox~

"Bonnie!" Draco shouted helplessly as she spun and ran off, but not before anyone could see the fat teardrops running down her face. He then spun and glared at Viktor, who was grumbling and turning to exit the castle.

"Do you know who she even is?" he yelled at the man who made his little sister's best friend cry before the pale boy ran after her, leaving Viktor Krum with shame in his stomach and Ginny, Hermione, the twins, Aurora and Ron all looking like they were going to murder him. They all thought better of it before speeding off in different directions, all shouting out where they would look for their comrade.

"Viktor, you ass!" One of the other students shot him a look of utter disgust. "You ask all of us to keep a lookout for a peacock feather and when you meet her, to turn her away? Sweet Merlin…"

Karkaroff's face looked pained as he took his pet student aside.

"You will find her and apologize to her," he ordered gruffly before sweeping from the castle with the rest of the students trailing behind him.

~xoXox~

When Viktor was about to give up, he found himself in the castle owlery, where thousands of owl hooted sleepily.

Viktor decided that his plan was stupid, but it was really all he had.

"Hedwig?" he called out softly. "Hedwig? Are you here? I need to send a letter!" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well I sound ridiculous…"

"Ridiculous yes…"

"And a moron, too…"

"Do you have idea as to what…"

"Bonnie's been through since finding out that she's a witch?"

Two redhead boys, twins, materialized form the shadows, with their wands pointed at Viktor, who saw that one had Hedwig on his arm, sound asleep.

"Oh and you're a jerk, too," chimed in the other twin, his wand pointed in between his eyebrows. "I don't really care if you like your eyebrows the way they are, they will come off if you make one wrong move," he growled.

"I beg your pardon?" he stammered out, his own wand barely even out when the threat had appeared in front of him.

"You have no idea what we want to do to you for hurting our friend," the one holding Hedwig spoke up with a glare in his tone.

"Wait a minute- you're my mysterious girl's big brother!"

"Bonnie said that?" the twin holding Hedwig said, cocking his head to the side, the ghost of a please smile on his face.

"Bonnie," Viktor tested out the name on his lips and smiled. At long last, his mysterious girl had a name.

"You have no idea who Bonnie is, do you?" asked the other twin incredibly, lowering his wand. They both stashed their wands into side bags, which Viktor recognized as being what almost all the Hogwarts students wore while at the feast.

The two brothers looked at each other before turning to face Viktor with hard expressions.

"Tell you what- you tell us what was on your mind when you snapped at our friend and we'll decide whether to help you or hex you, deal?"

~xoXox~

"I never meant to hurt her, I swear to you," Viktor finished pleadingly. During his point of view on his arrival at Hogwarts the twins had groaned at several points and the one who wasn't holding Hedwig hit his head on the wall a few times.

The twins looked at each other and had a silent conversation before turning back to Viktor.

"Follow us," the one holding Hedwig said, throwing her into the air, where she found a roost to sleep.

The twins seemed to know Hogwarts better than the backs of their hands. At long last, they reached an ordinary stone wall with a single torch lit.

"Stay back," warned the twin on Viktor's right before muttering, "_Expecto Patronum_".

A silver hyena bursted from his wand and shot through the wall.

"If I were you, I'd go off and hide," muttered the other twin.

Viktor thought for a second and ducked behind a suit of armor.

A few seconds later, Julia's tear stained face appeared from the wall, which had turned into a door.

"Hello Fred, Hello George," she greeted them. "Why'd you call for me, Fred?"

"Julia, we need to talk," said the twin who had casted the Patronus.

"About what? He very clearly doesn't like who I am," she sniffed. "Never in a million years did anyone ever think that fate could bring Viktor Krum and Bonnie Evans together!"

_Shit_, thought Viktor as his mind clicked all the puzzle pieces together.

Her mother was murdered when she was just a year old.

She was the seeker on her house team.

Viktor cursed at himself in his mind as Bonnie tried to remain strong for her friends, who were both keeping murderous glares from Viktor with much difficulty.

"Listen, Bonnie, it's was a long day for Krum-" started one twin.

"-and also the fact that he was attacked by hordes of screaming fangirls in the front hall didn't help any," finished the other, placing a comforting hand onto her shoulder. Julia gave out a quiet sob.

"He snapped at me," she whispered in a broken voice. "And the look in his eyes… it would've been enough to make Snape run for the hills."

"Come, I think some-" started one twin, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"-hot chocolate is in order," finished the other, copying his brother's movement of affection.

Just as they were rounding the corner, both twins looked up at Viktor and jerked their heads, meaning for him to follow them.

Viktor followed them down to the first floor, where they opened the secret door to the kitchen and entered. Viktor followed ten minutes later, his eyes widening at the number of house elves who were hard at work. One house elf stood next to Julia as she sipped at a mug of hot chocolate and munched on a platter of chocolate chip cookies, while listening to the twins crack jokes. The tears were almost gone from her eyes as she giggled at something that one of the twins had told her, the musicality of her voice reaching his eyes and making the stone walls around his heart come crumbling down.

He crossed the room and stood behind Julia, not sure of what to say.

"Come to take another jab at me, Krum?"

He winced at the cold fury in her voice.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"'I'm sorry' doesn't even begin to cover it," she scowled. Viktor couldn't help but notice how stunning she looked when angered.

"Can we start again?" he begged her, holding his breath as she mulled it over. The twins had vanished, leaving Bonnie to fend for herself, their warning still very clear in Viktor's ear.

_If you break her heart, then you'll have not only us to deal with._

He shuddered at the threat, and noticed that the house elves had also left leaving him and his mysterious pen pal alone. He gulped.

"Hello, my name is Viktor Krum," he greeted her with a bow.

Bonnie examined him for a second before holding out her hand.

"I'm Bonnie Evans," she responded in a soft voice, her cheeks flushing red when he bought her hand up to his mouth in a kiss.

"May I walk you back to your dorm?" he asked her, holding out his arm for her to take. He was rewarded with a small smile and she stood, still clutching at the mug and accepted his arm.

They walked in silence for a while until they reached the stairs to the fourth floor, when Viktor finally mustered up the courage to ask, "You don't look a thing like I imagined you to."

Julia looked up at him and he immediately began to regret what he had said, only to be rewarded with a small smile.

"I hear that a lot," was all that she said, before clenching his arm as she stared at something straight ahead of her.

"Evans has a boyfriend!" squealed the floating ghost, grinning evilly. He wore a loud orange hat and matching bow tie.

"Peeves, he's the school poltergeist," she muttered softly to Viktor, her lips barely moving. She smiled kindly at him before asking, "How are you on fireworks?"

"I could always use a few more," Peeves told her with a sickly grin.

"Tell you what- if you don't go spreading any rumors about me and my friend here, I'll go into Hogmades and get you are many as I can without raising suspicion, deal?"

"You'd do that for me?" Peeves asked Bonnie. Viktor stood there with shock written all over his face. Bonnie Evans broke school rules.

"Of course- when I leave Hogwarts, I'm going to need someone who knows all my tricks and who will help me pass them on to the next generation!" Bonnie told him with a somewhat evil smile.

Peeves puffed up with pride before giving out a giggle. The next thing Viktor knew was that Peeves went off, rattling the suits of armor as he went.

"So sorry you had to see that part of me," she apologized, looking down with a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. "But that one's a troublemaker- the only person- or should I say ghost?- who can control him is the Bloody Baron- he's Slytherin's ghost," she explained hastily, hooking a turn down a hallway and coming up to a a painting of a fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" she asked.

"Sleeping faerie," answered Bonnie smartly.

"I'm sorry dear, but the password's been changed," the fat lady told her.

"When?" Viktor couldn't help but notice the annoyance in her voice.

"An hour after the feast ended," answered the fat lady.

"Crap," muttered Bonnie before whipping out her wand and whispering, "_Expecto Patronum._"

A silver vapor appeared at her wand tip.

"Crap- think of a lovely thought," she muttered before shutting her eyes and opening her mouth. "_Expecto Patronum!_"

A silver doe appeared and raced through the painting of the fat lady, making her squawk in appalled dingily.

"Serves you right!" Bonnie sniffed before the painting opened to show Ginny, in a dressing gown wand with her makeup half scrubbed from her face.

"Bonnie!" squealed Ginny. "I tried to look for you, but Ron told me to go to bed- I've been having trouble getting the glitter off my face…" She then caught sight of Viktor and her eyes narrowed. "You…" she whipped out her wand and pointed it threatenly at him.

"Put the wand and the Bat Boogey Hex away, Ginny," sighed Bonnie exasperated. "He's apologized to me, and I've forgave him."

Ginny glared at Viktor before stuffing her wand back into her pouch.

"I make pouches for students, sell them at six Knuts each," explained Bonnie with a smile before going to jumped into the doorway which led to the common room. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Wait!" Bonnie paused and turned to face Viktor. "How do I get out of this castle?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Snapped Guitar Strings**

**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else I might toss in here just for the hell of it.**

**SUMMARY:**

**All Hogwarts students year three through six will be randomly paired with a student from:**

**Beauxbaton's Academy for Magic**

**~OR~**

**Durmstrang Institute**

**Both premier wizardry and witchcraft institutions.**

**You will send a letter to your foreign counterpart within the first two weeks of the summer holidays, extending a hand of international friendship and cooperation. Pending reply from your writing partner you will maintain this correspondence until the start of term.**

**Be advised that this assignment has been dictated by the Ministry of Magic and thus any student found to have neglected their obligation will be disciplined accordingly.**

**It would behoove you to represent your house and school well.**

**Happy holidays**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy headmistress**

**TWO NOTES FROM THE AUTHORESS:**

**This fanfic was inspired by ****mindofemmette****'s ****International Magical Cooperation: To Make Friends****. Go and check it out (tell her I sent you!)**

The following day, Viktor and Bonnie were inseparable. They spent most of their time outside, talking and laughing until Ginny and Aurora tracked her down and dragged her off to get ready for the masked ball that night.

"You'll see him later!" Aurora scolded Bonnie as she was shepherded into her dorm.

An hour and a half later, Viktor stood next to the staircase with worry piercing him every second he waited.

Just as he turned to glance up at the giant grandfather clock for the hundredth time in five minutes, he caught sight of her.

Bonnie wore an elegant white dress which looked like it had been made of snow; strapless with a sweetheart neckline, plunging back, and lace skirt. Her hair had been wrangled and was now in a brilliant braided updo with rhinestone combs to help keep flyaways in place. Her startling green eyes were all that showed through a peek-a-boo mask of pale blue lace. She wore long gloves and majestic heels which sparkled like diamonds.

Bonnie reached the bottom of the stairs and blushed as Viktor came up to her and bowed before offering her his arm, which she accepted before being swept out onto the dance floor. Bonnie was happy that Hermione had enchanted her hells so that they felt like she was dancing on air, otherwise she would have fallen and broken her neck.

"You look stunning," he breathed into her ear as a slow song began to play. He gently eased her into a waltz, where she rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeats.

"I still remember the World Cup- it was you who rescued me from the Death Eaters by broom," Bonnie spoke softly.

"I was angry when I saw that you were disobeying my orders for you to go hide inside the ship," he firmly told her.

"Viktor, I could help, and I did," she responded softly, looking down at the floor.

He tilted her head back up and green met brown before their lips met.


End file.
